Rekindled
by SoFaithless
Summary: Ron and Hermione are meant to be together. A story of lost love and rekindling.
1. I'm Sorry

"Ahem." Hermione Granger gave her throat a quiet clearing, and smoothed over her black satin skirt. This was not a nervous action; Hermione was bored. The scene around her was perfect, or it should have been anyway. She was seated at a small, round table-for-two in the most romantic muggle restaurant in London. She had always wanted to come to this place; to eat a simple, romantic dinner with someone she loved. The scene was just as she had always pictured such an event in her head – the table had a white linen table cloth, there were two lit, tapered candles in silver holders, and the lights were dim (but not dim enough to cause issues with sight).

Even the dishes were perfect. The white china with no adornment at all was framed by several rows of silverware and a perfect crystal wine glass. The room contained big bay windows which overlooked the city from the private second floor loft in which they were seated. One might wonder why, in such a lovely situation, Hermione felt so unaffected. In fact, she thought to herself, she was lonely.

She was not alone, but lonely was an apt word to use. The man sitting across from her at the table was as hollowly perfect as the scene around her. He was tall, but not gangly. He had red hair, but no freckles. He had blue eyes, and perfectly straight teeth. He was pale, but not ghastly. He had muscles, but they were obviously wrought in a gym, not from real life experience. He was smart, and he was funny, and he was a successful ministry warlock. His name was Gregory Bale.

That last fact was, Hermione supposed, the real problem. He was "her type", she supposed, or at least everyone else told her this frequently. Gregory (never Greg) worked in the department of mysteries; everything he did there remained, of course, a mystery. Hermione had decided to work in the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts office, with Arthur Weasley as her boss. She had bumped into Gregory one day on the elevator, and they had started a conversation about fountain pens. She had chuckled at the silliness of their conversation, and he had smiled at her earnest nature and beauty. He asked her out for a butterbeer that evening, and she had accepted.

She supposed she had just lost track of the time she and Gregory had been together. After that one coffee he asked her out again, and she accepted again, and things had just followed in that pattern ever since. The first time they had kissed, it was awkward. They bumped noses, and when their lips finally met up there was no heat or passion. When, several months later, they had sex (Hermione could never bring herself to call it making love), she had no orgasm. In fact, she rarely ever climaxed. He was the first wizard she had ever been with, though she had come close with… well, she had come close.

Eventually, he asked her to move in with him. Hermione couldn't bear giving up her independence, so she refused. He was hurt, but he recovered. Gregory wasn't the type to hold grudges. In fact, he wasn't the type to express any kind of real emotion. This though caused Hermione to sigh almost imperceptibly.

She wondered why she had so much time to think about all this at a romantic dinner with her boyfriend of two years. Shouldn't she be looking at him lovingly and picturing the evening they would spend together? No. There was no passion between them. She loved Gregory, she did, but she loved him as a friend. There were many parts of her day that she never even spoke of; especially parts pertaining to Arthur Weasley.

She loved Arthur as a sort of surrogate father, even though she had both of her own parents. Her parents still worked as dentists, and she visited them every other Sunday to have dinner. They had met Arthur and Molly both, and the four of them got on quite well together. Working with Arthur lead to many run ins with Ron, along with the fact that he was an Auror for the ministry.

Hermione had never been surprised that Ron made it as an Auror. He had studied harder than anyone, and trained harder than anyone, to get the job. The war had been training enough. He had fought alongside her and Harry. There had been tough nights and longer days, and everyone secretly prayed that their cause wasn't hopeless. Harry and Voldemort had battled to the death – Voldemort's death, but nearly Harry's as well. All the Horcruxes had been destroyed, and it had been discovered that Harry himself was the seventh Horcrux. This had caused much panic, but Hermione had mulled it over and come to the startling conclusion that because Voldemort now had Harry's blood in him, he carried around the seventh Horcrux inside of him in the form of Harry's blood.

The war had ended, and Hermione and Ron had drifted apart. It hurt her to think of him. They still talked and carried on as friends, but it wasn't the same. They never fought, and frequently they avoided each other's gaze. Things had become dark during the war, and after one night spent holding each other and snogging as though their lives depended upon it, Ron had become afraid that one of them would die. He ended their brief romance. He said he couldn't bear to lose Hermione as it was, and it was dangerous for them to let their guards down and take time away from the war. He also feared that he wouldn't be able to carry on if they let the spark between them flame.

When the war was over, things had become to strange between them to close the gap back to lovers. Ron had begun dating sporadically; he never had a serious commitment. Hermione had begun dating Gregory. She supposed the only thing about him that was really her type was the red hair. She couldn't bear talking to Gregory about Arthur because that made her think of Ron. Gregory knew nothing of Ron, except that he was Hermione's friend, and she wanted to keep it that way. Ron was the man she would always love, and Gregory was someone to love her instead. She felt awful for making him a substitute, but she felt she would fall to pieces with the loneliness if not for Gregory.

She knew she had to end things with him soon, though, because he kept hinting at marriage. She couldn't really understand why. They had been sitting here for a full half hour and not one word had been uttered. They had each started eating their food, and then finished eating their food, and now they were just sitting here looking at their laps.

Suddenly, Gregory coughed loudly. Hermione looked up, and Gregory smiled at her engagingly. She gave a weak smile back, and made to ask him if he was ready to leave. Gregory spoke first, however. He simply said her name, and then he pulled a black velvet box from his jacket pocket. Hermione flushed bright red, and her eyes filled with tears. Gregory assumed they were tears of love, and continued.

"Hermione Jane Granger, love of my life, will you marry me?"

Hermione entered her apartment an hour later alone. Her eyes were red from tears, and her heart hurt. She felt pangs of guilt for breaking Gregory's heart, but she felt it would have been worse to enter into an unhappy marriage with him. She had explained to Gregory how she felt, and told him about Ron. For the first time, she really told him everything she had been holding back. Gregory had silently closed the ring box and put it back in his jacket pocket.

"Hermione…" He could think of nothing else to say. A tear ran down his cheek, but he had known all along that she would say no. He had bought the ring as a sort of last ditch hope to bring them closer, and he knew it was time to end things. He didn't blame Hermione, but he was hurt, and they needed to spend a good while apart before he would be ready to try being her friend. Hermione understood this. They talked for an hour about things, and Hermione left the restaurant. She got to an isolated corner, and apparated home. Now that she was here, she wanted to be anywhere else.

Without much of a thought, she apparated to the burrow, seeking comfort in Mrs. Weasley. Unfortunately for her, what she found was not quite what she expected.


	2. Well Hello

A/N: The song for this chapter is Fall Away by the Fray.

Hermione hoped to find some comfortable chatter with Mrs. Weasley, or a gossip session with Ginny at the very least. Merlin, even having pranks pulled on her all night long by the twins would have been a relief compared to the situation she found herself in. Hermione had Apparated into the Weasley family room. It was pitch dark and no one seemed to be home, but she thought she might have a lie on the couch. There had been a few nights over the past years that she stayed overnight in the Burrow. She was always able to find the solace or comfort she needed without the worried questions she would find in her parents' home.

Hermione turned on the lights. As soon as the room came into focus, she noticed there was already someone asleep on the couch, though the figure had begun to stir when the lights came on. She squinted to see who the mysterious person was, and she soon noticed it was a Weasley boy. It was impossible to make out which one since he was facing the opposite direction.

The matter was almost instantly cleared up for Hermione with a sudden shout from the no longer sleeping man. "Oi, what the bloody hell s'matter with you? Can't you see a man's trying to sleep he… rmione?" Hermione's face instantly flushed; the figure was Ron! To make matters worse, he had turned around as he spoke and seen her. It would now be impossible for her to silently steal away from the Weasley she least wished to see at this very instant.

The two simply stared at each other. Each of their brains were working overtime, as neither of them had been prepared to run into the other at three in the morning. Hermione's face was so red she thought she surely must look like an overripe tomato. Sure, she saw Ron at family dinners and occasionally in the office, but this was seeing Ron in a way she had hoped to never see him again. He was sitting up on the couch with his arm slung over the back, and he was looking at her like he had seen a ghost. His red hair was tousled, but the look simply made him seem fabulously rumpled. His pale skin was flushed, and the only article of clothing he had on was a pair of bright orange Chudley Canon boxers. His blue eyes were locked on hers, and they contained a jumble of emotions in their depth.

She wanted to look composed, but she knew that was far from how she looked. How could she possible look collected when the man she had loved for half her life was laying on the couch in front of her looking as she had always imagined he'd look the morning after a particularly delicious romp with her? That thought did her in. Her mind had barely processed the words when her whole evening with Gregory came flooding back over her. A tear leaked out of the corner of her eye, and she did nothing to stop it.

Ron simply continued to sit and stare as another tear leaked from her eye. His own eyes tracked it down over her smooth cheek, and down to her delicate chin. As a third tear slipped down her face, Ron finally seemed to catch his wits about him.

"Hermione? Hermione what's wrong," he whispered. His words, barely audible over the sound of her own heavy breathing, only made the tears fall faster. Ron cautiously stood up from his place on the couch and circled around it to stand in front of her. Hermione did not respond in any way.

"Hermione." Her name was a breathy whisper on his lips, and their eyes were locked. "Tell me what's wrong. I know we haven't been… close since… well, in a long time, but I'm still your friend. I'm always here for you. Tell me."

She shuddered, and let out a sob. Her mouth opened, as though to form words, but none came out. She was so confused. She had barely spoken to Ron since the night he broke her heart, and now here he was telling her he would always be there for her. She knew she should be angry, but instead she felt comforted by his words. She wanted to pour her heart out to him, but she just couldn't get the words out. How could he possibly understand that she needed so much more than his friendship?

Ron reached out and caught her tear. His finger continued to slide down her face, and it gently brushed her lip, but he seemed to think better of this action and he moved his hand to her shoulder. He brought her to him in a hug and just let her cry. Eventually, he guided her to the couch, and sat her down next to him. Her head rested on his shoulder and she cried until all that was left were dry sobs.

After even those had run out, she lifted her head from his shoulder and met his eyes. She began to tell him everything that had happened; she told him everything about Gregory from the first glass of butterbeer to the last dinner. When the story was over, Ron looked at her thoughtfully for awhile.

He finally appeared to come to a conclusion. "What I don't understand is this: If you loved the bloke, why didn't you marry him?" As Ron spoke, his voice went softer and softer, so much that his last word was barely audible.

"Oh honestly Ron," Hermione asked incredulously, "How could you be so daft?" Her brown eyes searched his before continuing. "You know, you've always known, that the only man I have ever loved is you."

Here Ron's shoulders tensed. The truth of this statement was confirmed in his expression, and he looked a little lost. Maybe it was his lack of sleep or maybe it was the magic of the moment, Hermione would never know, but his eyes grazed over her body. They took in her wild curls, her tear-stained face, and her slumped shoulders. They took in her red blouse, her simple black skirt, and her low heels. When all this had been processed, his beautiful blue eyes snapped back up to hers, and his face inched closer to her. It seemed to take years before his mouth was close enough for her to feel his breath brush her full lips, but the feeling was delicious.

Ron's lips barely grazed Hermione's, but the action caused a fire to light in her heart. When his lips came back for more, the fire spread throughout her entire body. He ghosted his mouth across hers, and followed up with a gentle peck. His eyebrows furrowed together, and Hermione knew that he was as confused about what he was doing as she was, but she knew internally that neither of them wanted this moment to end. When he came back for another kiss, his mouth latched firmly onto hers, and his tongue slipped out to taste her. She parted her lips in response, and her tongue raced out to meet his in a demanding way.

Ron responded beautifully, and his previously gentle kiss became hungry. Their tongues battled and his hands slid up her arms and behind her neck. The fire had caught hold in Hermione's center, and she felt herself dampen. This was what she had been missing with Gregory. This was Ron, pure and simple, and this was what she had been yearning for all this time.

She could smell him; the scent of soap and aftershave flooded her nostrils. They continued to kiss like mad, and Ron's tongue plunged into Hermione's mouth as though he was trying to devour her. Her hands, previously inactive, reached out to latch on to his back. They slid around to his stomach, and she slid them over his firm, Auror–trained, firmed chest. Here Ron let out a low moan, easily mistaken for a growl, and Hermione's heart lurched. Just as she began to think they would soon be making love, a loud cough was heard.

"Ron, what has mum told you about snogging girls in the house? Honestly, you can be so pigheaded!" The pair broke apart, and Hermione's brain processed the voice as Ginny's just as Ginny noticed that the girl Ron had been snogging was Hermione. Ron sprang from the couch and darted out of the room, burning red from his face to the tip of his ears and muttering something about work and showers. Ginny looked at Hermione aghast.

"Hermione! This is quite out of character, but oh, are you and Ron together, finally?"

Hermione was blushing herself. However, before she could speak, Ginny calmly grabbed her hand and dragged her up to her bedroom. Questions were being pelted at her faster than she could ever possibly answer, and her partially voiced answers were not enough for Ginny. Finally, the story of Gregory and Ron and the whole messy affair had been sorted out, and Ginny had only one more question left to ask.

"So what are you still doing here? Why haven't you gone off to Ron's apartment to get to the bottom of this? Obviously he was full of it when he muttered about work, as it's Saturday!" Hermione tried to say something about not pushing Ron to talk when he would so obviously rather avoid the issues, but Ginny wouldn't hear of it. She pushed Hermione to the fireplace, threw in the Floo powder, and before Hermione could say "Stop!" she was whooshing through the Floo network towards Ron's fireplace.


	3. Magic

A/N: Thanks to my awesome beta Karen! The song for this chapter is Chasing Cars by Snow Patrol.

Ron was pacing around the kitchen of his flat. He hadn't considered that he left his clothes from last night at his mother's house and he was still in his boxers, nor had he thought about his shabby work excuse. Just about the only thing he could think of was Hermione. The tips of his ears were still flushed red, and his heart was pounding in his chest as he replayed the scene from moments ago in his mind.

_"Oh honestly Ron," Hermione asked incredulously, "How could you be so daft? You know, you've always known, that the only man I have ever loved is you." _

Ron was still processing this bit of information. He knew at Hogwarts that Hermione felt something for him, or at least Harry hinted at it. The one time he had worked up the nerve to do something about it he messed everything up and got on with Lavender instead. Lavender was a beautiful girl, but she was rather daft and silly. Ron preferred intelligent women who weren't shy about their opinions and really cared about things. Oh hell, who was he kidding? He preferred Hermione.

His thoughts raced back to the last night the two of them had ended up kissing. It was during the war, and he could remember the longing he felt for her. They were in hiding; spending the night at some Muggle motel in a small town where the next meeting of the Order of the Phoenix would take place. Ginny had caught up with them as everyone knew she would, and Harry asked Ron to sleep in Hermione's room so he could talk with Ginny. Hermione looked so beautiful sitting on the motel bed; her hair was a mess but her eyes were lit with passion for the war.

Ron crossed the room to her and kissed her. They just lay on the bed and kissed all night, still too young to go any farther, but it was the best night of Ron's life. The next morning he woke up with Hermione in his arms, and he began to get scared. He was scared of the intensity of the feelings he had for her, and scared that he would begin to love her even more and lose her. When she woke up he told her that he felt they should postpone their feelings until the war was over.

She seemed to take it well. She took it so well that Ron was actually hurt. He began to think that she didn't share his feelings, and that maybe she was just caught up in the moment. Then, when Viktor Krum turned up at the Order meeting, and he saw how Hermione looked at him, he figured that he was no Krum. It didn't matter how many times Hermione had suggested that Ron would beat out Krum for her affections; Ron's jealous nature had gotten the best of him once again.

Ron's thought track went back to this morning. Hermione just told him she loved him, had always loved him. What was he supposed to do with this information? He loved her too, of course he did, but it had been so long since they had been close that he hardly knew what to do. Maybe he should Apparate to Harry's and ask his opinion?

Before he could act on these thoughts, a familiar whooshing noise was heard from the living area. Thinking Ginny had come to harass him, Ron darted into his small bedroom. He began to toss on clothes with the intention of Apparating away, when a voice called out his name.

"Ron? Ron are you here?" Ron stopped in his tracks. He managed to pull on a pair of jeans, and a white tee shirt had been tugged over his head carelessly. The shirt was inside out. He stood staring at the door to his bedroom, but he didn't move. He couldn't even think.

Hermione cautiously pushed the door to Ron's room open, and she saw him standing there, looking at her intently. She lost most of her courage during the short walk from the fireplace to his bedroom, but she was relieved to see that at least now he had some clothes on.

"I just want to talk." Her small voice echoed in the silent room, and Ron snapped out of his stupor. He crossed his small room in three steps and grabbed her hand, pulling her gently to his kitchen. He pulled out a chair for her and looked at her earnestly before sitting down himself.

"So, let's talk."

Hermione expected Ron to try to avoid conversations with her as he always did, so his willingness to speak with her was startling. However, not being one to suffer from a lack of words, Hermione suddenly began to talk. She was talking so quickly that Ron could hardly catch what she was saying, and she had a look in her eye that reminded him strongly of when she was reading a good book.

He managed to catch a few words, and he gathered that she was apologizing for telling him that she loved him, but also asking him why he kissed her. She began to rant on about him leaving her and hardly speaking to her, and she looked extremely frazzled. Another memory flashed through his mind: third year and her mountains of homework and classes.

He had learned a thing or two since Hogwarts though, and he just let her get it all out. When she looked like there was nothing left for her to say, he simply asked her one question.

"Would you like me to explain?" Hermione looked at him as though he was daft for the second time that night.

"Yes," she said shrilly, "that certainly seems like a good idea." So Ron told her. He told her everything. He explained about how much he had always loved her, and his fears, and then he said something Hermione did not expect. He told her that he would probably have been unable to stay away from her if not for Krum's reappearance. He told her that he knew he was no Viktor, and that he could never compare to a Quidditch player.

"But Ron," said Hermione, "How could you think these things after what happened? After Viktor sold out the Order to Voldemort? After he laid the trap for Remus and Tonks to die?"

Ron merely blinked and said, "Hermione, this was before all that. I didn't know that he wasn't as good as he pretended to be any sooner than you did, and afterwards I guess I felt that I should leave you mourning time."

The incredulous look reappeared on Hermione's face. "You should have known, Ron, that Viktor and I were just friends. Did you really think that I would spend a night kissing you with every ounce of love in my heart and then be with Viktor the next day?"

At these words Ron sighed. "I was young and jealous, Hermione. I don't have any other explanation. After what happened, I felt there was too much distance between us to really tell you how I felt. I guess it just felt too simple for us to be together."

Hermione sighed as well. "Ron, Viktor was my friend. Sure, in fourth year I had feelings for him, but only in the absence of you. He was nothing compared to you. We were never together when he was with the Order."

Ron nodded his head. "I know that now, and I'm sorry. I'm so sorry that I let you slip away from me, Hermione. You are the most beautiful, intelligent witch… no, woman, in the world. You say that you've been in love with me for years, but that is absolutely nothing compared to the way I feel about you."

Hermione's eyes filled. She never thought she would hear Ron utter those words, and especially not in the same twenty-four hour span that another man proposed to her. There was no question in her mind, nor was there any doubt in her heart. She simply leaned forward and rested her forehead against his.

"I don't think I need to tell you that I love you again." Hermione's words reached Ron, and he leaned forward to meet her lips in a gentle kiss. This kiss was unlike any other the two of them had shared. Their first kisses were cautious and unsure, and the kisses from hours ago were pure passion. This kiss was love.


	4. Surprising Endings

A/N: The song for this fic is Hands Down by Dashboard Confessional. Thanks to my beta Karen!

Hermione was the first to break the kiss. She had no words inside of her to express how she felt, but she knew that this feeling was better than anything she had ever experienced. Her eyes, which had closed during the kiss, fluttered open to meet Ron's blue ones. She gave him a weak smile, and opened her mouth to say something. What she was going to say she had no idea, but she never got the chance to find out.

Ron placed his finger to her lips, apparently to silence her. He gave a sort of lopsided grin and sighed. It seemed to Hermione that he could think of no words either. Not being a girl to just sit and wait patiently for anything, she did the only thing she could think of. She leaned over quickly and kissed him again.

It was inexplicable to Hermione how every one of their kisses could be so different. This time when their lips met, all she could think about was fire. Ron's mouth met hers eagerly, and there was nothing slow this time. Merely seconds after first contact, his tongue slid across her mouth, asking for entrance. Her lips were barely parted before his tongue was inside, tasting her. It seemed like he was trying to consume her as he pulled her own tongue into his mouth and lightly sucked on it.

Hermione snapped out of her fog and ran her hands up and across his broad shoulders. She shivered as she felt his muscles tense beneath her fingers. The kiss was getting more intense with every second; tongues wrestling and hearts pounding. Hermione felt herself begin to slide down on the couch as Ron shifted his weight onto her. A moan escaped her at the thought of how strong he was and all the things he could do to her.

Ron broke the kiss and their eyes met. His expression was full of longing and lust, but there was something else there. This something else, this love, comforted Hermione even as she wanted him.

"Hermione…" Ron's voice was raspy and it sounded like the effort of speaking was just about killing him. "If you need me to stop, I…I can stop. I don't want you to feel like you, well, have to do anything you aren't ready for." The concern in his voice was echoed in his eyes.

He looked so sexy, leaning over her, and she thought it must have taken every last ounce of control he possessed to keep himself back. She also felt somewhat amazed that she could make a man want her like this with only a kiss. For her part, she had never been so aroused by a man in her life; Gregory was nothing compared to Ron. But then, hadn't she known that all along?

Hermione smiled at Ron, and in a voice that was barely more than a whisper she said, "Ronald, if I want you to stop I'll tell you. Please just kiss me. _Kiss me_." Ron did just that. He kissed her, and he slid her down on the couch until she was flat on her back with him on top of her. His hands reached up to fist in her hair, making any last bit of structure in her hair dissipate. His eyes stayed open as he kissed her, and the intensity was almost too much for her. When his lips separated from her own she let out a moan at the loss. He smirked at her, which, though very uncharacteristic of Ron, sent a little tremor through her body.

His lips ghosted across her cheek and down over her neck. His tongue slipped out to taste her, and he peppered hot kisses all the way up to her earlobe. Ron grazed his lips over the lobe and nipped her lightly. Hermione gasped, and Ron let his full weight press down on her.

His straining erection could now be felt on her stomach, and her eyes widened at the contact. He was much larger than Gregory! New waves of excitement raced through her as she thought about how that would feel inside of her, but she was quickly distracted from this thought when Ron's hand slipped under her shirt.

His hands were calloused from Quidditch and work, but their rough feel was driving her insane as they ran over her tummy. His finger strayed beneath the under wire of her bra, and the need inside of her began to build. She knew he was trying to take things slow, but she didn't know how much longer she could wait.

"Ron, please, touch me," she gasped out. His eyes locked on hers once again, and she raised her arms above her head to answer the tugging on the hem of her shirt. The material whisked over the soft skin of her arms, leaving a trail of goosebumps in its wake.

She barely noticed this, however, as she was watching Ron's eyes. They ran over her nearly naked torso, and she swore they darkened in color. Her cheeks flushed, but Ron smiled. He lifted his own shirt over his head, and all thought about her own body left her mind. His body was perfect. He was muscular, but somehow still retained the lankiness that she found attractive when she was a girl.

Ron leaned in to kiss her again. As they kissed, his hands slid underneath her to unclasp her simple, white bra. As soon as it was unfastened, it was wrenched from her body and flung to the floor. Ron's gaze shifted to her breasts, and he let out a groan that sounded very much like one of satisfaction.

"Gods, Hermione, you're so beautiful." He let out a whooshing breath, and lifted her arms above her body once more, pinning them together with one hand. Hermione bit her lip and arched her back, pressing herself into his erection. Ron grunted in response and began to press kisses into her breasts, leaving no bit of skin untouched. When he finally slid his tongue over her very hard nipple, Hermione whimpered.

Ron continued to ravish her, using his teeth and tongue to drive her to madness. He released her hands, and she lifted them to his back, enjoying his naked torso as much as he apparently enjoyed hers. Ron's hands, meanwhile, were sliding down her hips to the hem of her skirt, lifting it to her waist. She trailed her fingers down his arms, and around to his front, meeting his eyes as she slid a finger under the waistband of his jeans. She was so torturously wet and ready for him, and she felt like she might explode if she didn't get those horrible trousers off of him right this second.

She popped open the button of his jeans and slid the zipper down, but with his position on top of her she just couldn't get his jeans or boxers down past his hips.

"Let me help you." Ron removed his weight from her for only the short time it took to fling his jeans and Canon boxers from his body, but Hermione got a fabulous look at his hard cock before he was back down on top of her. She still couldn't get over the sheer size of it; she had never imagined that Ron would be so…well, large.

His hungry lips met hers for another searing kiss, and his hands wandered down over her thighs. A single finger hooked under the elastic of her white, cotton panties, and his thumb brushed over her center. A sharp intake of breath could be heard as he could now feel how wet she was. Before she even had time to moan, he had simply ripped her thin panties right off of her body.

"Oh Gods, Ron!" Hermione felt little shocks run through her at the idea of what Ron had just done. He slid his thumb over her clit and she gasped. His finger, meanwhile, continued its path, sliding fully into her. He swirled it around inside of her, and added another finger, pumping them into her. He growled, and his cock twitched on her thigh. Hermione strained against his fingers; she wanted him inside of her now.

His own thoughts must have been a mirror to hers, because he removed his fingers, and moved over her to position himself at her entrance. His eyes made contact with hers once again as though asking permission, and she simply let out a moan in response. This, apparently, was Ron's breaking point.

He slid all the way inside of her, burying himself completely. When he was totally immersed, he moaned out mostly unintelligible words, but Hermione thought she caught a few, such as "tight" and "wet" and "wonderful." Her thoughts became scattered when he began to move inside of her.

He started off slow, but his pace quickened momentarily, and soon he was thrusting into her in earnest. Hermione's only intelligible thought was that this was the best feeling in the world. Every thrust brought her closer to the brink. Their mingled gasps, pants, and moans were the only sounds in Ron's flat, and both of them were close to the edge.

If Hermione thought that she had never made love before, she knew now that no experience she had with Gregory could even be compared to making love with Ron. He filled her completely.

They were so immersed in each other that neither of them noticed the loud crack of Apparition that filled the room. Harry appeared behind the couch, and started to speak.

"Ron, I've got something interesting that you might like to… AGH!" His words were cut off when he noticed that Ron was not alone. He simply stared at the final stages of Ron and Hermione's lovemaking, but at Hermione's shrill scream of release, Harry slammed his hands over his ears.

"Merlin Ron, haven't you found out yet what the bedroom is for?" Harry's Apparition hadn't been enough to break apart the pair, but his yelling certainly was. Ron sprang up off the couch and grabbed his wand from the table near the couch. "Accio clothes!"

Harry's eyes, meanwhile, had wandered down to the woman on the couch. Hermione flung her hands over herself at Harry's gaze, and realization appeared on his face. He glanced from Hermione to Ron, who was now throwing clothes on with astounding speed, but he couldn't seem to make out the words. The three of them were all flushed red and staring at one another, but none of said a single word.


	5. Cleaning Up

Harry seemed to snap out of his stupor first. He turned awkwardly away from his two best friends and flushed redder than anyone had ever seen him. He coughed in a strangled sort of way before muttering something under his breath about giving them some privacy, and Apparated out of the room with a crack.

Ron and Hermione's eyes met for a brief second before they both burst out laughing. The laughter broke the tension of the moment, and Ron disappeared into his bedroom only to emerge again with a robe on. He held an old one in his hand for Hermione, who accepted it gratefully.

"Well, I'm going to take a shower." Ron lifted his hand towards the bathroom to underline his statement, but he didn't move. Hermione raised her eyebrow and waited for him to move towards the bathroom, but he didn't look like he was going anywhere.

Ron had gone into the bedroom to grab a robe for himself and he thought he had a spare somewhere for Hermione, so he began to root around in his messy dresser drawers. After an unsuccessful search, he noticed it hanging on the open door to the bathroom that connected to his own room.

As he grabbed it off of the door, it occurred to him that he should take a shower, and that Hermione would probably need one as well. He thought that he should let her go first. Or perhaps…

"I thought you were going to shower?" After several moments of Ron standing in front of his bedroom door staring at her, Hermione was starting to think Ron had gone a bit mad. At her query, Ron's ears flushed red.

"I am…er… I just thought that maybe… er, well, maybe you'd like to… join me?" Now it was Hermione's turn to flush. She thought to herself that it seemed rather silly for them both to be behaving like this was new territory, seeing as the had just finished making love minutes ago. That was different though. They had been caught up in the heat of things. However, now that she thought about it, showering with Ron did sound rather nice…

Ron watched Hermione rise from her seated position on his couch and couldn't help but grin. His old bathrobe fell down to mid-calf on her, whereas it was higher than his knees. She had tied it loosely, and he could see a lovely amount of her cleavage and a bit of her smooth tummy.

He felt himself getting hard again as he thought about how sexy she would look, all wet in his shower. Hermione's hip brushed against his thigh as she passed, and he suppressed a small groan. He couldn't believe his luck; after wanting her for years, he was about to make love to the witch he loved for the second time that day.

By the time these thoughts had passed through his head, Hermione had entered the bathroom and turned on the shower. When he crossed the threshold of the bathroom, she turned around to face him and simply dropped her bathrobe.

This time Ron couldn't suppress his groan. Hermione's hair was so deliciously untamed, her skin so soft looking, and her amazing, pink nipples were already so hard that Ron couldn't understand for the life of him why he was standing all the way over here.

He crossed the bathroom in two steps, but Hermione was faster. She jumped into the bathtub, into the spray of water from the shower, and said, "Don't you think you should get rid of something?"

Ron hurriedly threw his robe to the ground and stepped into the shower. The water was perfectly warm, and Hermione was already soaked. If she had looked good naked and wet in his fantasies, she looked even better here. He had become unbearably hard just from looking at her, and he couldn't wait any longer. He reached out and ran his hands down her shoulders, over her arms, and grabbed her hands. He pulled her close to him, so close that his erection was pressed tightly into her thigh.

His hands reached around behind her and slid down to her bum, and he grabbed her and lifted her up, pressing her back against the shower wall. She let out a little gasp, but he muffled it with his mouth. He found her own mouth open and ready, and their tongues fought heatedly.

Hermione's hand left Ron's shoulder and slipped over his erection, and she explored it eagerly. Her fingers slid over his shaft and down to cup his balls before coming back up and beginning a tentative rhythm over him. Ron's lips left hers and he mouthed silent words of praise, too aroused to speak. When he felt he could take no more he removed her hand from him.

Before he could act, however, Hermione pushed him backwards and off of her. She turned off the shower, and let the water start to fill the tub. "Sit down."

Ron obeyed her and sat down on the floor of the tub, his back propped against the edge. Hermione kneeled over his lap and straddled him, giving him a very inviting look at her center. She leaned over him and latched her lips onto his neck, and while Ron let out a groan of satisfaction, she lowered herself onto his cock.

Ron's grunt was a mixture of surprise and delight, and Hermione moved up and down onto him. Her wet breasts were bouncing slightly up and down, and her warm, wet, folds were giving him incredible sensations. The water in the tub was starting to rise up over his legs, adding to the amazing feeling of Hermione riding him.

Ron's hands left his sides, and one reached up to slide over one of her breasts, his thumb grazing over her nipple. Each time he made contact she sighed, giving every impression of delight.

His grunts and her sighs mixed together in Ron's ears so that he had no idea who was making what noises anymore. His other hand slipped between her thighs to tease her clit as they joined. Her sighs turned to mewls, and her walls began to tighten around him. Ron was close to coming; he felt like he could explode at any second.

Hermione's body seemed to be having the same reaction; with one small scream her inner walls clamped down on his cock and she came. With one last, powerful thrust, Ron came as well, spilling himself into her. He laid back against the wall of the tub, and Hermione collapsed on top of him.

"Well, Ron, I think we should shower this way more often."


	6. Interdepartmental Memos

A/N: I know last chapter didn't have a song, but it was so short I didn't think it really needed one. The song for this chapter is Dark Blue by Jack's Mannequin. Thanks so much to everyone who reviewed this fic, it really means a lot to me!

Arthur Weasley hummed to himself as he walked towards his office on Monday morning. The past weekend was a nice one. Harry came over for dinner on Friday and Saturday both, which wasn't a rare occurrence these days. Now that the war was over, Harry and Ginny were free to make their relationship a bit more public, and Harry was a frequent dinner guest.

On Saturday, Harry waited until Ginny and Molly were making dinner in the kitchen before asking Arthur to talk. Arthur recalled being only slightly puzzled by this, but he agreed. Harry looked relatively nervous, but he also seemed determined to speak about something. After only a moment's delay, Harry asked Arthur's permission to marry his daughter.

He couldn't quite fathom why Harry seemed so nervous to ask him this; there was no one that Arthur would rather have as a son-in-law than Harry. They shared a somewhat awkward hug, and dinner continued normally after that.

After dinner, Harry and Ginny disappeared up to Ginny's room with a rather flimsy excuse about wanting to discuss Harry's Defense Against the Dark Arts classes for the week. Arthur knew, and he was sure Molly also knew, that Harry and Ginny had already shared a bed, but neither ever said a word.

Arthur could remember a few nights before he and Molly were married that they engaged in less than chaste behavior, and he knew that Harry would do right by Ginny. His last thought brought a broader smile to his face; after he was sure that the younger pair had Apparated elsewhere, he and Molly had a little… discussion in the kitchen themselves.

Arthur was happy with the way his life turned out. He had a beautiful wife, seven happy children, and a job he loved. Even though during the war he was promoted, he settled back into his old job happily when it was over. The ministry had been kind enough to let him keep his higher salary, and money was flowing a bit more easily in the Weasley home these days.

Just about the only thing that was currently troubling him was his youngest son. Anyone with eyes knew that Ron was caught up in Hermione, but the two of them seemed determined not to admit how they felt to each other. Ron had an admirable career, and Arthur was proud of him, but he could see that his son was not happy.

He could see this in Hermione as well. She always arrived at the office an hour before him and left an hour after him. That Gregory fellow she had been dating didn't seem to make her very happy. He sighed a little to himself as he thought about how complicated Ron and Hermione were making things for themselves.

Arthur brushed these thoughts aside as he neared his office. There was a lot of work waiting for him, and sometimes Hermione's ambition to clear her desk as efficiently as possible made him feel a little intimidated.

However, as he stepped into the office, he was quite surprised. Hermione was indeed in the office, but instead of busily working, she was holding a purple interdepartmental paper airplane unfolded in her hand and staring off into space. She had a look on her face that was a mix of fear and happiness, and the fingers of her other hand were tapping restlessly on her compulsively neat desk.

Arthur cleared his throat a bit louder than necessary, and Hermione was apparently started out of her reverie. She flushed a shade of crimson and began throwing out apologies for not having started on her work yet.

Hermione arrived at her usual time to work, ridiculously early, and sat down at her desk. However, instead of opening her various folders and digging into her work, she sat reflecting on Ron. After their shower, they had settled into Ron's bed and slept. She awoke sometime around dusk and crept out of bed while Ron was still asleep, pausing only a moment to linger on how sweet he looked.

She'd Apparated back to her flat and spent the rest of the night cleaning furiously. This was her habit when she was very emotional about something, although today's emotion was startled happiness. She thought about Ron constantly. She was slightly worried that the whole thing had been some sort of hallucination, and she would soon wake up in her bed with Gregory's snoring form next to her.

Another part of her was worried that the whole thing had not been a hallucination, and that she had permanently damaged what was left of her friendship with Ron. She couldn't pretend that she hadn't wanted this to happen, but she was also afraid that Ron would wake up and regret letting this happen.

All her worrying and furious cleaning tired Hermione out, and even though she hadn't been awake for too long she slipped into her bed and fell asleep rather quickly. Her sleep was somewhat light, and she kept waking up in the middle of a continuous nightmare that Ron was planning to have her arrested for assaulting him. Needless to say, when she woke up for the final time on Sunday morning, she was not any less stressed.

She had many errands to run that day, and when she got back home she found a note sitting on her bed. All it said was, "Lunch tomorrow, noon. Ron." Butterflies had fluttered through her stomach – it hadn't been any hallucination. Just as quickly as the butterflies came, though, came a dark cloud of doubt. The note had been horribly brief. Maybe he did regret what happened? Maybe he was planning to break up with her?

Hermione couldn't even really remember how she spent the rest of Sunday or how well she slept that night. All of her focus was on lunch with Ron today, and she felt like the four hours that remained until noon were going to kill her.

After an hour of doing nothing but thinking about Ron, a purple airplane settled on her desk noisily. She opened it distractedly, but payed more attention to it on the realization that it was an official letter from the Minister of Magic himself! Hermione had no fondness for Scrimgeour, but she did have a respect for authority, so she read the letter carefully.

For the umpteenth time she had been offered a better job. This time, though, she was asked to take the position of Head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation, and she couldn't pretend it was an offer she could easily refuse. The familiar battle began to play through her head. Part of her knew that she was just hiding in this job; hiding from her terrible mistake. Most people would say that trusting Viktor Krum was a mistake anyone could make, but most people were not Hermione Granger.

She loved working with Arthur, and she was good at her job here, but she knew this was not the job she'd pictured herself in. She wanted a better job, yes, but how could she trust herself after her mistake? She convinced the Order that Krum was a good man in spite of his Durmstrang education, and they trusted him on her word. On her word, Lupin and Tonks died.

They went with him on the mission that night; it should have been nothing out of the ordinary. They found a location of a meeting of Death Eaters and went to spy. What they didn't know was that Krum had set the meeting up; he set up a trap for the Order. As much as she hated herself for Remus and Tonks' deaths, she hated herself more because Ron was supposed to go that night.

Harry, Ron, and herself came back after tracking down the second Horcrux for a bit of a rest before heading to find the third. Moody asked Ron if he would mind going with Remus, Tonks, and Krum, and of course Ron agreed. They were all set to head out, but Molly begged Ron to stay home. She said he had only just gotten home, and he was too tired to put himself at any sort of risk. Ron reluctantly agreed to stay home, and it wasn't until morning that they found out what happened. What Krum did. What Hermione caused.

How could she take any sort of position of responsibility when she couldn't tell who was good and who was evil? How could she carry on with any ambitions when she caused innocent, good people to die?

Only when Arthur walked in did Hermione stop thinking along this track. She was appalled at herself for not even having started her work. Arthur merely waved his hands at her apologies, but Hermione still felt guilty. She enjoyed working with Ron's father immensely, and she didn't want him to think she took her position lightly.

Hermione tossed the purple airplane into the waste bin and picked up her files; she rifled through them searching for the most challenging bit of work she could do. Arthur, meanwhile, glanced at the waste bin frequently. Hermione noticed this and thought it was a bit strange, so she asked him if perhaps she had mistakenly thrown something of his away?

Arthur knew Hermione was up for another promotion before she did. The Minister caught him in the hall just yesterday and decided to give him a bit of a heads up. Arthur was thrilled for Hermione. This promotion could be huge for her. In the past, Ministers of Magic were selected for their Auror skills as well as diplomacy, but now that the war was over people were looking for lighter times again. International Magical Cooperation was now placed higher on the list of Minister pool than the Auror office, and Scrimgeour was on the way out.

During the war, people wanted strength. Now that the war was over and Scrimgeour's false imprisonments and lack of arrests came into the limelight, people wanted someone more willing to cooperate with others. Strength of body was again pushed aside for strength of mind. If Hermione took this job she could very well be the next Minister of Magic.

While many would say it was ridiculous for someone to go from an underling in Arthur Weasley's office to the head of such a prominent department, nobody would say that about Hermione. Her role in the war was admired by many, and she was seen as perhaps the strongest woman in the Wizard world, although Ginny was up there as well. Arthur was tired of seeing Hermione berate herself for what happened with Viktor. He was going to see to it that she took this promotion.

When she caught him staring at the trashcan, Arthur decided he should just go about this head on. He confessed to Hermione that he knew all about the promotion, and he thought she should take it. He told her how he felt about her, and what he knew she was capable of.

"Hermione, you simply cannot keep holding this Krum issue over your head as though all you are made of is one accident. You're human, you made a mistake, we all made a mistake. We all trusted him, not just you. It's time to get on with your life"

She looked a bit shocked by his words, but Arthur was pleased by this. He wanted her to stop holding herself back. She was like his second daughter, and he couldn't just stand by and watch her keep herself from greatness.

He continued to watch her, and for awhile she said nothing. She just sat there and stared at her desk. Finally her eyes lifted, and her mouth opened and shut a few times before it seemed she was able to say anything. When the words finally came out, she had tears in her eyes.

"You're right, Mr. Weasley. I'm going to think about this job."

That was all she said, and it was all he could have hoped for her to say. He smiled at her, and the two of them continued their work in silence for the rest of the morning.

When the clock struck noon, Arthur though it was time for lunch. Hermione usually didn't have lunch until one or two, so Arthur slipped out of the office and often Apparated home to see Molly for an hour or so. He knew he could leave the office in Hermione's capable hands for that long.

Before he could rise from his chair, he saw the office door open out of the corner of his eye. When he turned to see who it was, he was somewhat surprised to see Ron standing there. Ron gave his father a quick smile, but his attention seemed to be aimed mostly at Hermione.

She, apparently, had not noticed the door opening, because her head was still buried in paperwork. Ron just leaned against the doorframe and stared at her until she looked up. When their eyes met, even Arthur could feel the electricity in the air. His eyebrows went up, and he just stared at the two of them.

Ron spoke first. "Well, Hermione, did you get my owl yesterday? Are you ready for lunch?"

Arthur's eyebrows went up even further as Hermione blushed bright red and knocked over a stack of papers with her elbow as she jumped from her seat. Arthur smiled as Hermione sped quickly towards the door, and she didn't look at him.

"Well," he thought to himself, "It seems the pair of them have had a rather good weekend as well."


	7. Worry and Hirings

A/N: Many thanks to my beta, Karen! The song for this chapter is Let Love In – Goo Goo Dolls.

Lunch with Ron was, in a word, brilliant. They only went to the Ministry of Magic cafeteria, and Hermione only ate the same thing she ate every other day (a roast turkey sandwich with a side salad and water) but still everything was wonderful.

She had been a bit nervous that this lunch would be awkward, but now those nerves just felt silly. She simply couldn't understand how she had stayed away from Ron for so long. He was a wonderful lover, but more importantly he was a wonderful friend.

Ron walked her down the hall from her office with his hand lightly touching her elbow. Hermione couldn't ever remember being more aware of her elbow. They didn't talk at all during the entire walk to the cafeteria, but this didn't bother her. It was just another benefit to spending time with someone you know almost as well as yourself; there isn't always a need to talk.

When they got to the cafeteria, Ron looked at her and gave her a smile, but still they said nothing. They got their food in comfortable silence, and when they arrived at an empty table in the most isolated corner available, Ron pulled out her chair. As soon as they were settled, he fixed his eyes onto hers and said, "So, about this promotion."

Hermione could feel her jaw drop. "Did your father tell you about it?" Ron simply shrugged in response. Hermione found herself slightly irritated that details of her life were being passed around without her knowledge, but she decided to let it go. After all, it isn't like Arthur had informed the entire ministry.

"Well yes," she said, "I am up for a promotion. I've been up for promotions before, and I've turned them down, and I don't honestly know how I could do anything different with this one…" At her words Ron's smile hardened a bit, and his mouth opened as though to speak.

Hermione spoke again, beating Ron to the punch. "I already know what you're going to say Ronald, and I have already had this discussion with your father. I'm thinking about it. I'll have the interview next Monday, and I'll decide if I'm going to take it after that. There's no use trying to convince me further because it just won't do any good!" Her voice went a little shrill at the end of her speech, and she coughed a bit to try and hide her embarrassment on the subject.

Ron appeared not to be fooled. "Hermione… if you're going to think about it, that's really all I can ask of you. Just remember that you are the smartest witch I know, and there is no way anyone is going to let you get away with not taking this promotion."

She could feel her blood begin to boil. No one was going to _let her not take this promotion? _As if anyone could stop her from doing anything she pleased, and damned if she wasn't sick and tired of Ron telling her….

She inhaled deeply to calm herself. Hermione knew that Ron was only speaking from the heart; he was trying to do what was best for her, and showing a temper was only going to provoke an argument.

Across the table from her, Ron smirked. "You know there aren't many things in this world that are sexier than Hermione Granger trying to suppress her temper."

Hermione blushed. Being told she was sexy was not something she was used to, but she discovered that she rather liked it. The rest of their lunch went pleasantly. Ron seemed to have decided not to bring up the job offer any more, and they talked about her parents and his siblings. After their meal, he escorted her back to her office. When they were just outside the door, Ron stopped her, and put a hand on her hip.

"I'm going to be thinking about you for the rest of the day. I'm going to be thinking about how much time we've wasted not being together, and I'm going to be thinking about what I'm going to do to you when I've finished work and Apparated to your flat. I'll bring dinner." Ron apparently wanted no reply from Hermione, because he pressed his lips to hers firmly, a kiss designed to get her blood boiling but give no satisfaction, and he walked away. Before he rounded the corner he looked over his shoulder at her and winked.

Hermione's knees were weak and she had to take a moment to collect herself before stepping back into the office. She was sure that by now Arthur had heard their footsteps outside the door and flooed home to tell Molly all about how Ron and Hermione had lunch together. News never traveled slowly around the Weasleys. With a small sigh, Hermione gathered her thoughts and stepped back into the office.

"Ms. Granger? The Minister is ready for you now." The prim secretary gave Hermione a smile that seemed quite friendly from her stiff features. Hermione's stomach gave a huge lurch as she stood up from her seat and smoothed her robes. She decided to dress simply but professionally for the interview; her A-line black skirt and crisp, white, collared shirt underneath simple black robes certainly gave a professional impression.

Minister Scrimgeour and his undersecretary, Percy Weasley, were waiting expectantly for Hermione when she entered the Minister's office. Scrimgeour was seated behind his rather large desk, while Percy sat in a small chair off to the right of the desk. The Minister smiled at Hermione while Percy merely gave a curt nod. Even seeing the middle Weasley boy made Hermione feel ill, so she decided to focus her attention on Scrimgeour instead. She tried to keep her hands still at her sides until she sat down in the chair directly opposite the big desk, and then she folded them gently in her lap. She gave what she hoped was a confident smile, and waited for the Minister to speak.

Rufus simply studied her for a moment before speaking. "Well, Ms. Granger, I can't say I have heard anything but rave reviews about your work. As you know, we have had trouble keeping anyone successful in the position we are interviewing you for today. It is a tricky business, keeping the peace in any international community, magical or not."

Hermione simply nodded her assent, and the Minister continued. "I cannot pretend that we have always been on the best terms, Ms. Granger, and I know that you have never supported my ideas as Minister, though I daresay you find me a bit more practical than Fudge."

Hermione said nothing, and the Minister seemed to take this as a confirmation of what he said. "I am aware of your qualifications, as well as your accomplishments. I simply have two questions to ask you, and if I am satisfied with the answers, the position is yours."

Hermione nodded her head and said, "Of course, Minister." Scrimgeour seemed not to notice the look of dissatisfaction on Percy's face, or if he did notice it, he chose to ignore it.

"My first question is this: Why have you turned down every promotion you have ever been offered?" Hermione had been anticipating this question from the start, so she was neither surprised nor offended. "I simply did not feel that the time was right, Minister. I have been happy with my work."

Percy gave a little snort from his corner of the room where he was busy taking notes. Scrimgeour ignored him once again. "Very well Ms.Granger. My second question is as follows: If your role in the Ministry asks you to give a public display of support for an issue you do not personally endorse, will you side with the Ministry?"

Hermione was surprised by this question, but she decided to be honest. She had no thirst for power, and she knew that if the Minister was unhappy with her answer, she could be perfectly happy with her current job for the rest of her life.

"My answer to that, Minister, is that I would give the issue careful consideration, and place my allegiance on the side of the issue that I believed to be the correct side."

Scrimgeour narrowed his eyes, and studied her for a moment before speaking. "Your honesty is appreciated. While under previous administrations that answer would have been quite unacceptable… current times call for someone willing to be a bit more discerning. The position, Ms. Granger, is yours if you choose to accept it."

Hermione smiled. "I will discuss it with my family, Minister, and provide you with an answer tomorrow morning." With a small nod towards Percy, Hermione strode quickly and confidently out of the room. She knew she should head back to her office, but she had a quick pit stop to the Auror department to make first.

For the past week, Ron had been visiting her flat after he finished work. They would have dinner, discuss their days, and finish the evening with lovemaking. Hermione's cheeks flushed a bit as she thought about this last part. Sunday night at the Burrow had been only slightly uncomfortable for her, as the entire family seemed to know about their kindling romance. The twins had made not-so-subtle innuendos all night, and Molly had forced helping after helping of pudding on her.

She smiled to herself, and continued thinking as she continued through the Ministry to Ron. For the first time in a long time, Hermione was happy. The only cloud hanging over her head was her shocking recollection that both the first and second time her and Ron had made love, they had not used any sort of protection. Normally Hermione was on a potion, but it had run out the week before she broke up with Gregory and she had not thought to replace it. Things hadn't been exactly, well, hot with the two of them.

Hermione pushed this thought away quickly. After all, they had only made love twice without protection. It takes more than that for anything to happen, right? After all, some couples wait years before having children.

Hermione's smile reformed as she reached the doorway to the room Ron's cubicle was in. He was still a new Auror after all, though many people believed he would soon be promoted. She peeked her head around the corner and grinned. Ron was sitting at his desk with a pizza crust hanging out of his mouth, his hair disheveled, and his nose buried in a stack of papers. It made her giggle to think that such a sloppy sight would have her heart jumping so much.

Hermione tiptoed into the cubicle and wrapped her arms around Ron's shoulders. He gave a jump of apparent surprise which quickly morphed into a smile. "Well, how did it go?" The pizza crust fell out of his mouth and into his lap at his words. Hermione wrinkled her nose and grabbed the crust, tossing it gently into the wastebin. "He offered me the job."

Ron pulled her into his lap. "And? Are you taking it?" Hermione shrugged and wriggled out of Ron's lap. "I told him I would let him know tomorrow. I know you think I should take it, but I want to discuss it with my parents first." She studied him seriously for a moment. "Ron… do you really think I would be good at this job?" Ron's eyes never wavered from hers as he answered, "Yes." That was all he needed to say. Hermione knew she would be accepting that job tomorrow, though she would still be discussing it with her parents first.

She leaned over and placed her lips on his in what was supposed to be a chaste kiss, but Ron only pulled her in closer when she tried to pull away. With an almost imperceptible moan, he slipped his tongue into her mouth. Hermione reluctantly pulled away. "Ron… not in the office!"

Ron grinned shamelessly. Hermione made a sound of disapproval, but it was clear there was no conviction in it. "Come to my parents house for dinner tonight. They've been asking about you." Ron nodded his head. "Alright. I should be done with work around seven, so I'll see you then."

Hermione nodded and exited his cubicle. She wasn't sure what was going to happen tonight, and she hadn't thought of the ramifications of this invitation before offering it. Surely her parents would notice their changed behavior around each other? What was she to tell them? Sure, they had said they loved each other once, but they had never really discussed their relationship. Were they a couple or just… friends with benefits? Silently cursing herself for giving herself something else to stress over during her busy day, Hermione began the walk back to her office. With a sigh she thought to herself, "It's going to be a long day."


	8. We Have All Night

Ginny Weasley was a very happy girl. Her family survived the war, she had an excellent position at Gringotts (Bill's job had always fascinated her, so she decided to follow in his footsteps), and her fiancé was currently massaging her very tired feet. What else could a girl want?

"Mm, Harry that feels wonderful." Harry looked up at her with a wicked grin on his face. "Now when was the last time I heard you say that?" Ginny laughed and kicked at him with the foot not currently in his very capable hands. "Enough of that Professor Potter or you won't be hearing anything of the kind for a very long time."

Ginny always got a kick out of calling Harry "Professor." She was thrilled that he'd accepted the position as Defense Against the Dark Arts professor at Hogwarts. He was quite talented at his job.

"So, Harry, heard anything from Ronnie since your little run-in last weekend?" Ginny chuckled as Harry's face flushed. "Yeah, I owled him yesterday to harass him a bit. He says he'll be stopping by for dinner later in the week."

Ginny smiled. "Is he bringing Hermione?" Harry shrugged, and said he guessed so. Ginny was thrilled that her brother FINALLY got together with Hermione. While she regretted her biting words to him in her fifth year, she still thought he was a bit of a wuss for not acting on his feelings sooner. Not that Hermione was any better. She couldn't wait until she saw either of them so she could congratulate (and harass) them.

"Bye, mom. Bye, daddy. I'll see you next week for dinner, yeah?" Hermione's parents smiled and waved. "Hermione dear, are you sure you don't want to stay tonight? It's so late." Hermione shook her head no. Her father looked at Ron and said, "It was good seeing you again, Ron. Make sure to come around more often." Ron smiled and thanked Hermione's parents for the lovely evening, gave Hermione a hug and Apparated out with a crack. Hermione felt a wave of disappointment; she thought Ron would be coming home with her tonight.

"So, Hermione. How long have you two been dating?" Hermione let out a little gasp at her mother's words. "How… how did you know?" Her mother merely smiled. "Hremione, I'm your mother. You two have been sharing looks with each other all night, and don't think I didn't notice him holding your hand under the table. I'm happy for you sweetie. I have to say, your father and I have always liked Ron much better than that Gregory fellow."

Hermione blushed. "Thanks, mom. I'm going to get going, you know, early day in the morning with accepting the promotion and all." Hermione hugged her father and waved, and then she Apparated to her flat. Once inside she let out a whooshing breath. Of course her mother noticed her and Ron were more than friends; her mother noticed everything. However, both her parents seemed happy about it. The dinner had gone quite smoothly.

Ron told her parents all about his job, Hermione discussed her promotion, and there weren't many awkward silences. She took this as a good sign. She didn't want to get ahead of herself though, she thought. Her and Ron had only said they loved each other once, and just because Hermione was sure they both meant it didn't mean they were going to be getting married. She told herself she really needed to stop thinking about the future so much and focus on the now.

At this thought Hermione realized she wasn't alone in her apartment. She could hear footsteps coming from her bedroom! Her wand hand slipped her wand out from the pocket of her robes, and she held it up in front of her, ready to attack. The intruder stepped out from around the corner and… oh. It was Ron. Ron without a shirt on, and his pants slug low on his hips so the top of his boxers were showing above them.

"Ron! You scared the life out of me!" Hermione's heart was pounding both out of fear and attraction at a very sexy looking Ron. He simply grinned and shrugged. "Didn't think I was coming home with you I see." Now it was Hermione's turn to shrug.

Ron crossed the room to her and wrapped his arms around her tightly. His mouth hovered just over her ear as he said, "Well I couldn't very well Apparate hand in hand with you, could I? Didn't exactly want to advertise to your parents that I'm shagging their only daughter." As soon as the last word fell from his lips, he grazed her earlobe with his teeth. Hermione's knees weakened, and she was sure if Ron's arms hadn't been supporting her she would have melted into a puddle on the floor.

Apparently Ron was done speaking. His mouth slid down from her ear to her neck. He trailed his tongue over her neck and sucked on her soft skin. She was sure there would be marks in the morning. He kissed her hotly all the way up to her mouth, and his lips stayed there. They kissed passionately, their tongues battling each other. Hermione felt like she could kiss him forever and be completely happy.

Before she could make out what was happening, he hooked his hands under her legs and lifted her up, carrying her towards the bedroom. "God, Ron, I love you." She forgot that neither had said it since that first time, and Ron stopped walking. His eyes met hers and he looked at her as though he was trying to read her mind, and then he simple said, "I love you too, Hermione. So much," and then he carried her into the bedroom and all thought was lost.

He set her down on her bed gently, as though he was afraid she might break. He sat down on the bed next to her, but surprisingly he did not move; Ron seemed content just to gaze into her eyes. When his lips finally crossed the space between them, the kiss was gentle and sweet. Hermione felt butterflies in her stomach. They had made love before, but it was usually heated and full of lust. This was something entirely different.

When Ron's lips ghosted over her neck and down to her collarbone, it was like he was cherishing her. He leaned over her, causing her to lie flat against her pillows, and he slipped his hands inside her t-shirt; he slid it over her head slowly.

Ron's eyes darkened as they moved over her semi-naked torso, and he lowered his mouth to her shoulder. His kisses spread over her arms and across her chest, his tongue sliding briefly underneath a cup of her bra. Little sighs were escaping Hermione's mouth like the wind. This was a whole side of Ron she had never seen before.

When his hands slipped underneath her and unclasped her bra, she arched her hips into him, but he merely grinned. "Don't be in such a rush love, we've got all night." Hermione's cheeks flushed, but Ron didn't notice this as he was currently sliding her bra straps down her shoulders. When her bra joined her shirt on the floor, Ron appraised her. "Beautiful," was all he said.

Hermione felt slightly nervous under his gaze, but when he gently ran his tongue over her nipple her nervousness faded away into desire. He paid a devastating amount of attention to each breast, and Hermione felt like she would surely die of smoldering heat. When his hands finally unhooked the catch on her pants she breathed a little in relief.

Ron slid her trousers down her legs and over her ankles. She hadn't been wearing any socks, so she was naked but for her knickers, which Ron seemed content to leave on for the time being. He hastily tossed his own shirt onto the floor, and began with the button of his jeans. Hermione took this opportunity to rake her eyes over him, but when she reached out to touch him, he stopped her.

"Not this time." That brief explanation confused her a little, but she decided to just lay back and enjoy the ride. No pun intended. When Ron removed all his clothing, he leaned back over her. She hadn't even had the chance to glance at his amazing form before he hooked his forefingers into the elastic of her panties and began sliding them down her legs. The butterflies were back in her stomach. They'd made love, but he had never looked at her with such scrutiny. No one had.

She heard his breath catch when she was naked before him, and he whispered compliments under his breath as he lowered his lips to her calf. He kissed her gently up her calf, over her knee, across the inside of her thigh… he moved over suddenly to her other calf and began the process all over again.

Hermione was so ready for him she thought she would surely melt if he didn't do something, soon! Ron clearly had no intentions of letting this end swiftly. When he finally reached the apex of her thighs he stopped. His hands came under her knees and slid them a bit further apart before he gently slid a finger inside of her. Hermione gasped, and Ron smiled up at her. Their eyes caught and held as he slipped his finger inside and out of her.

"Hermione, you're so wet. I love knowing I can do that to you. Tell me you love me." Hermione willingly complied, and she repeated the words like a prayer as his fingers parted her and his tongue slid inside. He was doing things to her that no one had ever done, and for once she had no words. Little gasps and moans came out of her mouth and she was so close, so deliciously close to the edge.

Ron's thumb ran over her clit and that was her last string of control. She climaxed with a short scream, and Ron met her eyes again with a grin. Hermione felt her usual impatience coming back to her. "Ronald. I need you." Ron's eyes darkened even further, and he pressed himself against her thigh, letting her hear him groan.

He slid into her gently, and his pace was slow but thrilling. Their lovemaking was usually fast, but this was slow and gentle; this was him taking care of her. When they came, they came together, and Ron's body collapsed against the bed. Hermione snuggled up against him and they both closed their eyes. Hermione's last conscious thought was a shred of worry over their previous lack of contraceptive spell, but she pushed the thought away and let herself slip into unconsciousness.


	9. Foot In Mouth

A/N: Thanks to Karen for the excellent beta-ing. No song for this chapter since it's a bit short!

Hermione Granger was very stressed out. It had been a month since the dinner with her parents, and everything was going fantastically with Ron, but she had started her new job two weeks ago and it was extremely stressful. However, that's not to say she didn't love the job; it was fantastic! There was must less paperwork in this job, but much more interviews and meetings. Her schedule was quite full, but every second was thrilling.

Then there was the other reason she was stressed out. Hermione was pregnant. She hadn't officially taken the test, but it didn't really take an Unspeakable to solve the mystery of why she hadn't had her period that month, or why she'd spent the last twenty-one mornings puking.

Hermione's eyes darted toward her desk drawer. She'd purchased a muggle pregnancy test that morning before work, promising herself she would take it as soon as she got home. She would much rather have purchased a potion, but she had no anonymity in the Wizarding world anymore. At least in the small Muggle shop she'd gone to no one had given her a second glance.

Ron didn't know. Hermione knew she had to tell him, but she just wasn't sure how to bring it up. Now that they were finally together she was scared of what this revelation would bring. Sighing to herself, she stole a look at the clock on her wall. It was almost time to go home. She had a date with Ron that evening – a real date. He was taking her to the Leaky Cauldron for dinner. While it wasn't exactly fancy, she knew Ron's starting salary was not large, and she would never embarrass him by suggesting that she pay.

Finally, Hermione closed her files and rose from her desk chair. She grabbed the bag containing her test from her desk drawer and exited her office. Her secretary was already gone for the day, so she just raced towards the elevator. When the doors came apart with a 'ding,' she was surprised to find Ginny Weasley inside.

"Ginny! What are you doing here?" Ginny looked at her with apparent curiosity. "Just stopped by to invite Dad to see a Quidditch match with Harry and I on Saturday. You look a bit peaky, what's wrong?"

Hermione tried to give a confident smile, but she knew it came out weak. "Just a bit of stress from work is all." Ginny nodded her head, but her eyes caught the bag in Hermione's hands. "You got pastries and didn't tell me?" She grabbed the bag from Hermione's hands, ignoring her gasp of protest. She pulled out the box containing the pregnancy test, and even though she was no muggle, Ginny could read.

She looked at Hermione with huge eyes. "You're pregnant? Is it Ron's? Does he know? Does mum know?"

Hermione just shrugged. "I suspect, but I don't know for sure. Yes it would be Ron's, obviously, and nobody knows but for you."

A half an hour later, Ginny and Hermione sat together on the couch in Hermione's flat. "Ginny, you'd better go. Ron is picking me up in fifteen minutes, and I'm going to tell him. I need time to prepare."

Ginny exited with a hug and words of encouragement. Hermione threw on a dress and a nice pair of earrings, and she was barely ready when Ron knocked on her door. He smiled at her when she came out of her apartment, but she knew her attempt at reciprocation fell flat.

"Hermione, what's wrong?" Ron's clearly worried glance only made Hermione more nervous. "I'll tell you over dinner, alright? Let's just go." Ron nodded, and they Apparated to the Leaky Cauldron, where a table was waiting for them. Hermione smiled as the silent waiter took their drink orders – mulled mead for Ron and water for Hermione.

She decided not to waste any time, so she just spilled it right out. "Ronald, I'm pregnant."

Ron did not speak for a full three minutes. He simply stared at her with an aghast expression on his face. "H-h-how? We used…" Hermione interrupted him. "Not the first time we didn't." Realization appeared on his face.

He put his face in his hands, and she heard him mumble something about not being sure how to tell Molly. A jolt of nerves raced through Hermione as she thought the same thing, but these nerves were soon forgotten at Ron's next sentence.

"Well, there's nothing to be done about it then, shall I talk to the minister in Ottery St. Catchpole's town church tomorrow?" While she was momentarily touched that the thought of not having the baby seemingly never crossed Ron's mind, this feeling was quickly dismissed by the anger and outrage at what he was suggesting.

"Why would you do that, Ronald?" Ron's eyes met hers as he stammered out a reply. "W-well, we've got to, you know, make it official." Hermione's eyes narrowed. "Ronald Weasley, if you are suggesting that we are going to run off and have some, some, shot-gun wedding, you are out of your mind!"

She didn't wait for his reply. She flew up out of her chair and Apparated home with a crack, leaving a very mystified Ron behind her. All she could think was that Ron didn't want to marry her because he loved her, he wanted to marry her because it was _appropriate_. They only were together for a month! It would have been one thing if he just loved her so much that he wanted to _propose_. Engagements could last years, and they would have plenty of time to make sure it was right.

He wanted to marry her because of some stupid idea that a woman was disgraced if she had a baby! Hermione couldn't ever remember being so mad at him. When she got home she found Ginny sitting at her table waiting for her. At the look on Hermione's face, Ginny rose from her chair.

"I guess it didn't go well?" Hermione recounted the story to Ginny, who shared her outrage. The two of them sat talking for around an hour before Ron Apparated into the kitchen.

Ginny gave a snort of disgust, but she said nothing and exited the flat. "Haven't you heard of knocking, Ron? Clearly I don't want to speak to you right now."

Ron flushed. "Well I don't understand why. You told me you're pregnant, so I suggested the right thing to do." Hermione knocked over her chair as she stood, jabbing her finger into Ron's chest. "I don't need you to marry me because I'm pregnant! People get married because they're in _love!_ If you don't love me, then don't you propose! I don't want to speak to you Ron, and I won't want to tomorrow either! Just leave!"

Ron's mouth hung open, but he apparently saw it would be in his best interest to depart, because he Apparated out without a word. Hermione leaned against the wall, and slumped to the floor. The last of her anger was gone, and all she was left with was a truly aching sadness.


	10. Happy Endings

A/N: This is the last chapter! Thanks to Karen for her patient beta-ing, and thanks to everyone who read and reviewed! I hope to be starting a new fic soon, so keep an eye out!

Ron and Hermione had not spoken in two weeks. During that time, Hermione's morning sickness had slowed to only every other morning, but her job was no less stressful. She threw herself into her work with ardor, and she was so far ahead in her work that other departments were having trouble keeping up. She hadn't been to dinner at the Weasleys, though she knew that Ron told them about her situation.

She assumed they were mad at her, so she made no effort to keep in touch with any of them but Ginny, whom she never asked about the family's reaction. Her parents knew as well, and though they had certainly been far from thrilled, they were quite understanding. Her mom had offered to have Hermione come and stay with them for the duration of the pregnancy. Though the offer touched her, she turned it down. Living with her parents again was not something she was ready to sign up for.

Hermione started to feel that her relationship with Ron was over. He certainly hadn't been making any effort to reconcile. She was only still a bit angry with him, but she felt that if he wasn't going to make any effort to apologize, she wasn't going to either. Dismissing her thoughts about Ron, Hermione opened another file and began to work.

Ron was kicking himself. After thirteen days of storming around, angry at the world, he finally caved the night before and spoke to Ginny. She explained how Hermione was feeling, and asked him how he could possibly be such a complete wanker. Ron was ashamed. As usual, his foot had gone right into his mouth.

He loved Hermione, and he never wanted to make her feel like he only wanted to marry her because of the baby. His baby. He hadn't really thought about marriage because they had been dating officially for such a short span of time, but the last two weeks had given him a good deal of thinking time.

He realized that he truly did want to marry Hermione, but that maybe he should have explained things to her a bit better, or not flown off the handle with such a rash suggestion. He needed to make her understand how he felt, and he figured he had a way to do it. He sent Hermione an owl asking her to please come to his flat later – he wanted to talk to her. He told her that even if she didn't want to talk, it would be very important to him if she did come.

He left work during lunch to make a quick stop in Diagon Alley's biggest jewelry store. He knew that if he was going to do this, this time he was going to do it right. Hermione was not going to tolerate him being such an arse a second time. Normally this thought would have brought out a smile in him, but currently he was more worried about losing the woman he loved. This absolutely had to go right.

Hermione's eyes widened as she read the owl from Ron. She hadn't been expecting it at all, and for a moment she considered not going, but she knew he deserved better than that. When she left work, she Apparated straight to Ron's flat. She may be giving him a chance to explain himself, but she certainly wasn't going to dress up for the occasion. When he opened the door, she merely raised her eyebrows at him and walked in, taking a seat on the couch.

Ron stood in front of her and began to speak. "Hermione… I messed up." Hermione glared at him. "Well yes, Ron, and if that's all you called me here to say I'm afraid you've wasted both our time."

Ron inhaled deeply. "Just let me speak, Hermione, please?" Hermione merely shrugged and nodded, so Ron continued. "I never wanted you to think that I wanted to marry you so that you wouldn't feel like some shameless hussy. The words flew out of my mouth, and I clearly wasn't thinking. I want to marry you, Hermione, because I love you."

Hermione was rendered speechless. She could tell from Ron's eyes that he meant what he was saying, and she decided to let him finish speaking. Ron's voice rang out again, and this time around there was no stuttering. He sounded totally sure of himself, and she knew he meant what he was saying.

"I want to marry you because you are amazingly smart, witty, and beautiful. I want to marry you because in the morning your hair all sticks to one side, and your skin is the softest I've ever touched. I want to marry you because when you talk about things I don't understand, you make me want to learn all about them. I want to marry you because you are brave, talented, and caring. I love you so much it hurts, and even though we've been together officially for such a short time, I've loved you since I was thirteen years old. You amaze me, Hermione, and I want to keep on being amazed by you every day for the rest of my life. Say you'll marry me."

With these words, Ron produced a beautiful ring from his pocket. Clearly it was a white gold ring with a small diamond. Hermione was not disappointed in the least by it's small size, she always thought women with huge rocks were tacky anyways. Actually, she was hardly focused on the ring at all.

Hermione was just plain shocked. She couldn't believe that such touching words came from Ron's mouth. She loved him, and she wanted to marry him desperately, but she had to make sure of something before she relented her anger and went rushing into his arms.

"I don't want you to propose to me because of this baby, Ron." Ron shook his head. "You can't pretend that having a baby isn't going to change things, Hermione, maybe rushed things a little. But I want to marry you because I can't see my life any other way."

Hermione rose from her seat on the couch and wrapped her arms around him, gently rubbing his back. Her own words came out in a whisper. "I will marry you, Ron. I will marry you because you're strong, loyal, and handsome. I'll marry you because you snore loudly when you sleep, because you put your foot in your mouth frequently, and because you make me want to watch Quidditch. Of course I'll marry you Ron, because you're everything I have always wanted."

Ron leaned in and kissed her. The kiss was so firm and full of love that Hermione felt like she wasn't in her body anymore; she was floating somewhere out in space with only Ron to cling to. Their kiss deepened, hands roved, and clothes slipped from bodies and landed on the floor as they moved their way to Ron's bed. Ron slid his hands over her breasts, and down to her still flat belly. He placed his lips against it in a gentle kiss.

"My baby, our baby, is in there. We're going to be parents, Hermione." The weight of it pressed upon her, and she pressed herself against Ron. He slid inside of her gently, they didn't need foreplay when they had so much love to share. Their lovemaking was slow and long, and when they each met their completion, they sighed together.

Hermione curled up against Ron, and she furrowed her brows together. "Do your parents hate me?" Ron let out a loud laugh. "God no Hermione, my parents don't hate you. They weren't exactly pleased with the news, but I told them I love you, and they seem okay. More grandchildren are always welcome in the Weasley family, and I'm sure as soon as we've been married and had our child mum will be nagging about when we're going to have more. Mum could never hate you. You're like her second daughter.

Hermione smiled. She had trouble believing that only two months ago she was suffering through a dead-end relationship with Gregory while secretly pining for more. Now she was curled up in the arms of her lover – no, her fiancé, and they were having a child. Maybe the circumstances weren't exactly as she'd planned them, but when does life ever go according to plan? Love is bigger than plans, she thought. Love is bigger than everything, and she found her love. She couldn't wait to be the next Mrs. Weasley.

Ron's hand was wrapped up in her hair and he was already snoring loudly. Hermione chuckled quietly and closed her eyes as well. She needed all the sleep she could get; tomorrow she had a feeling hat after a long day at work she would be spending the whole night at the Burrow. Her right hand touched the ring on the other hand gently, and she smiled again. Her life had finally fallen into place.

Her last thought before sleeping was that having this baby was going to be the scariest thing she had ever done; scarier than fighting Voldemort, even, but with Ron by her side she was ready to face anything.


End file.
